Sanatana Dharma
Propagation of the Vedic, eternal knowledge of spiritual living.
Sri Sri Thakura
Philosophy
Knowledge that grows through devotion, and devotion that is proven in service.
Shankarer Mata and Gouranger Patha
The doctrine of Shankara and the path of Gauranga
Knowledge and love, together
Swami Nigamananda expressed the essence of the all-inclusive Sanatan Dharma in one maxim: Shankarer Mata and Gouranger Patha. It speaks of a harmonious blending of the highest enlightenment (Jnana) and universal love (Bhakti). For the seeker of this age, he affirmed the integrated ideal of attaining Atma-jnana, knowledge of the Self, through Bhakti, which is devotion and seva.
“Jeeva, the individual soul, is Brahma, the Supreme Soul” – Aham Brahmasmi – is the Vedantic doctrine of the eighth-century reformer Sri Adi Shankaracharya. A seeker must realise it to know himself and to know God. According to Swami Nigamananda, the royal road to this goal is the path of devotion followed by Sri Chaitanya Dev.
Seva purifies the mind
In his view, Seva-brata, the vow of service to mankind, is the greatest Dharma of human beings. The way to Purna Jnana, complete knowledge, is Chitta-shuddhi, a cleansed mind, and the way to a cleansed mind is seva. He called this the path of Sri Gauranga.
A seeker's aim, he said, should be Ahamtvara Prasara: the spreading of one's own Self into the Self of all humanity. One learns to empathise and to put the cause of others first, beginning in the family, then in the community, then in society, and finally among all mankind. In this way one can experience one's own presence in every being.
Three objectives
Sat Sikshya
Right education that enables development of an integrated personality conducive to spiritual growth.
Seva
Service to all living beings, deemed as service rendered to the Supreme Being.
Three ways of living
To realise these objectives, he enjoined his devotees to:
Adarsha Grihastha Jeevan
Lead an ideally virtuous family life.
Sangha Shakti
Walk together on the spiritual path and build the power of spiritual association.
Bhava Binimaya
Commune with one another, exchanging spiritual ideas and experiences.
Ideal human beings first
He held that a liberated soul is the right person to serve mankind in the right perspective. He therefore asked his followers to strive first to become ideal human beings through self-development (Atmagathan), so that the ultimate goal follows as a matter of course. He looked forward to the return of the golden age of ancient times, the Rishi Yuga, and urged his followers to work sincerely and together towards it through Sangha Sadhana.
Adapted from the philosophy of Srimat Swami Nigamananda Saraswati Dev as published by Nilachala Saraswata Sangha, Puri.